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On February 1, 2009, SGI-Canada Sud-Ouest Chapter organized a poetry, music and painting event during their monthly world peace prayer meeting at the SGI-Canada Montreal Culture Center. Following the sutra recitation and prayers for peace, two members shared how their daily practice of Nichiren Buddhism had positively impacted their lives. ... read more

The SGI's "Seeds of Change: The Earth Charter and Human Potential" exhibition was held from January 30 to February 1, 2009, at the ASN Senior Secondary School in East Delhi, India. As well as displaying the exhibition's Hindi and English versions, the school opened its auditorium for back-to-back screenings ... read more

On February 1, 2009, SGI-Sweden members from throughout Stockholm gathered at the SGI-Sweden Culture Center. Participants resolved to further develop friendship and trust in society, in the build-up to SGI-Sweden Day (June 3), which marks the 20th anniversary of SGI President Daisaku Ikeda's first visit to the country in ... read more

In 2008, Bharat (India) Soka Gakkai (BSG) Education Division launched a "Peace In Action" program in St. Columba's School in New Delhi, with an aim of sensitizing students to violence, including passive violence, and equipping them with skills to deal with the violence. Between August 2008 and January 2009, ... read more

Soka Gakkai recently released The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras, commemorating January 26, 2009, the 34th anniversary of the founding of the SGI.
The book offers an English translation of the Lotus Sutra and two short sutras, the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra and the Sutra on How ... read more

On January 26, 2009, SGI President Daisaku Ikeda issued his annual peace proposal entitled "Toward Humanitarian Competition: A New Current in History."
Analyzing the global economic crisis, Mr. Ikeda questions humanity's abstract love of money, calling for a focus on the real needs of real people and stressing the need to ... read more

Tokyo, Japan: On January 26, Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Buddhist association, today issued his annual peace proposal entitled "Toward Humanitarian Competition: A New Current in History."
Analyzing the global economic crisis, Ikeda questions humanity's abstract love of money, calling for a focus on the real needs ... read more

SGI-Dominican Republic women have been meeting at various locales around the country. On January 25, 2009, SGI-Dominican Republic Women's Leader Leiko Komatsu attended a meeting at the SGI culture center in Santo Domingo. One woman shared the sense of fulfillment she gained from practicing Nichiren Buddhism as well as the ... read more

On January 25, 2009, some 700 SGI-Spain members gathered in Madrid, Spain. SGI President Daisaku Ikeda sent a congratulatory message, expressing his hope that the members would advance in unity, achieve personal triumphs and make concerted efforts to be good citizens, expanding their circle of friendships.
In 1991, SGI-Spain was newly ... read more

SGI-Portugal was recently officially registered as a religious organization. Sueji Naohara was appointed SGI-Portugal's general director. When SGI President Daisaku Ikeda first visited Portugal in 1965, there were no members in the country. An SGI chapter was established in Portugal in January 1992. Since then, the Portuguese members have worked ... read more

On January 15, SGI-USA youth in the Washington, D.C. area joined with other young people in an interfaith initiative to clean the Anacostia River shoreline. Following the activity, the youth met in groups to discuss environmental issues relating to their faith traditions. Participants reported they left more determined to ... read more

On January 20, 2009, Soka Gakkai Malaysia (SGM) made a contribution of RM 18,000 to the SAHABAT-PPUKM (Friends of PPUKM) Fund at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (PPUKM), which provides financial assistance to patients in need. SGM General Director Choo Kong Fei presented the check to Professor Dato ... read more

On January 19, 2009, the eve of the historic presidential inauguration of Barack Obama, SGI-USA members welcomed more than 75 guests to the SGI-USA Washington, D.C. Culture Center as part of an "Ecotour" sponsored by the Presidential Inaugural Committee 2009. Participants took five-mile bike and bus tours down Northwest Massachusetts ... read more

From January 16-18, 2009, SGI-Europe representatives gathered for their annual Peace Summit at the SGI European Center in Trets, southern France. Some 200 members from 26 European countries attended. SGI President Daisaku Ikeda sent a message applauding SGI-Europe's efforts to foster capable people, based on the study and practice ... read more

On December 21, 2008, young women in Panama gathered for a leaders' meeting at the SGI-Panama Culture Center. Ashanti De León was appointed SGI-Panama young women's leader. She expressed her determination to foster more capable young women through heartfelt dialogue. Other newly appointed young women's leaders included Janune Chandler, student ... read more

To mark the occasion, Guam Governor Felix Camacho named January 9 "World Peace Day" and the island's legislature signed a resolution commending Daisaku and Kaneko Ikeda and the members of the SGI, as well as honoring the SGI's founding on January 26, 1975. Speaker of the 30th Guam Legislature Judith ... read more

SGI-Korea recently published a Korean edition of The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras. The Lotus Sutra is widely considered to be the most important scripture of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. ... read more

On January 11, 2009, approximately 6,000 Bharat (India) Soka Gakkai (BSG) members sat for an entrance-level study exam at 95 venues throughout the country. Study materials included two of Nichiren's writings, "Winter Always Turns to Spring," a letter to the lay nun Myoichi, and one of his many letters ... read more

On January 10, 2009, the Institute of Oriental Philosophy (IOP) hosted a lecture at SGI-Germany's Villa Sachsen Grand Culture Center. Dr. Michael von Brück, an eminent professor of religious studies at the Institute of Protestant Theology and Comparative Religions, University of Munich, spoke on the "Mentor and Disciple Relationship ... read more

On January 4, 2009, Singapore Soka Association (SSA) members brought old clothes and newspapers to their Soka Culture Center in support of the South West Community Development Council's "Charitable Recycle@South West." SSA was one of the event's community or corporate partners that included City Harvest Church, the South West Mosque ... read more

In early January, 2009, SGI members in 192 countries and territories gathered in their respective locales to usher in the new year, designated by the SGI as "Year of Youth and Victory." SGI President Daisaku Ikeda led new year prayers service at the Soka Gakkai headquarters in Shinanomachi, Tokyo. ... read more

Following the devastation caused by the tsunami which struck the coast of India on December 26, 2004, Bharat (India) Soka Gakkai (BSG), looked for ways to address the nutrition and education-related needs of children living in Nagapattinam, one of the worst-hit areas in Tamil Nadu, south of Chennai City, ... read more

On December 28, 2008, some 3,500 SGI-Hong Kong members gathered for an annual meeting at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Hong Kong. SGI President Daisaku Ikeda sent a message, in which he praised the members' dedication to building trust and friendship in society, and encouraged them to continue to ... read more

On December 21, 2008, some 600 Bharat (India) Soka Gakkai (BSG) members met for their annual meeting at the Soka Bodhi Tree Garden in a New Delhi suburb. In a message, SGI President Daisaku Ikeda first expressed his heartfelt condolences for the victims of the recent terror attack in Mumbai, ... read more

Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the Soka Gakkai Women's Peace Committee (WPC) hosted a peace forum on December 20, 2008, at the Soka Gakkai Josei Toda International Center in Shinjuku, Tokyo.
Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948, the ... read more

The 20th Kyoto Foreign Students Music Festival was held at Kyoto Kaikan Hall on November 30, 2008. At this year's event, some 102 students from 17 countries and territories studying at universities and colleges in the greater Kyoto area presented traditional dances, songs and music of their respective cultures in ... read more

SGI-Netherlands Young Women's Leader Eva Gjaltema reported that the young women in her country are endeavoring to study and apply the hope-filled life philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism, each determined to positively transform her life and become a person who can inspire and encourage others. Mr. Harada thanked the many volunteers ... read more

On December 11, 2008, Johan Cels, representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Japan, visited Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada and Executive Director of the SGI Office of Public Information Hirotsugu Terasaki, at the Soka Gakkai Headquarters in Shinanomachi, Tokyo.
Mr. Cels ... read more

On display at the venue were panels in Dutch from the "Seeds of Change: The Earth Charter and the Human Potential" exhibition created by SGI and the Earth Charter Initiative, which had been adapted for a project of the Netherlands National Committee for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development (NCDO) ... read more

On December 7, 2008, SGI-Paraguay members met at their culture center in Asunción. Some 500 attended. SGI-Paraguay Young Men's Leader Samuel Medina and Young Women's Leader Chieko Nagasawa each expressed their resolve toward 2009, designated by the SGI as "Year of Youth and Victory." SGI-Paraguay's fife-and-drum corps performed and representatives ... read more

On November 9, 16, and December 7, 2008, SGI-Brazil (BSGI) members in the metropolitan area of São Paulo held "Soka Humanism Culture Festivals" at three venues. Youth members presented gymnastics, music and dance performances. Some 32,000 BSGI members participated in the festivals as either performers, staff or spectators. SGI President ... read more

Soka Gakkai Education Department has recently published a booklet, Heiwa no seiki e--kodomo no shiawase wo mezashite (Toward a century of peace--aiming for the happiness of children, tentative translation). This follows its first booklet Kagayaku kodomo to ningen kyoiku--kyoiku no tame no shakai e (Children and humanistic education--for building ... read more

On November 17, 2008, the National Folklore Group of Jordan began its Japan tour at a culture center in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, at the invitation of the Min-On Concert Association. The tour commemorats Min-On's 45th anniversary. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is the 100th country with which Min-On ... read more

Channel 11 General Manager Carlos Aguilar said he and the station managers had been impressed by the quality of the films as well as the positive messages they convey. "The contribution that SGI-Panama has made to our station's children's programming is significant. The fourteen stories provide good entertainment as ... read more

A ceremony that brought together representatives from ten faith traditions celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the new SGI-USA Washington DC Culture Center on December 2, 2008. The Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington, the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area and ... read more

Over the years, Singapore Soka Association (SSA) has promoted awareness of health issues among its membership, sponsoring lectures by SSA members and outside experts in the medical field. In particular, SSA has collaborated with Silver Ribbon (Singapore) on promoting mental health among the general public.
On October 4, 2008, together with ... read more

SGI-Mexico has been cohosting showings of the SGI's “Seeds of Change: The Earth Charter and Human Potential” exhibition in various locations. From October 6 to November 7, 2008, the exhibition was installed at the School of Architecture of the Autonomous University of Yucatan (Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán) in Merida, with ... read more

On November 23, 2008, SGI-Philippines put on the "Mindanao Youth Culture Festival" at the Capitol University on Mindanao Island, the Philippines. Capitol University President Casimiro B. Juarez Jr. and his wife, Dr. Fe Rosales Juarez, attended the festival together with some 3,000 SGI-Philippines members. SGI President Daisaku Ikeda sent a ... read more

Kiran Segal, a leading Odissi classical dancer, was the guest of honor and cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony. Ms. Segal remarked that the exhibition offers "Straightforward ways to overcome the animosity that exists amongst us today." She was moved by the messages on the panels such as, ... read more

On October 26, 2008, more than 250 members gathered to officially open the new SGI-USA activity center in Gaithersburg. In a congratulatory message, SGI President Daisaku Ikeda expressed his hopes that the center would serve as a forum for friendship and dialogue in the community. Miko Stirlen, a pioneer ... read more

On October 25, 2008, SGI-Nigeria members from throughout the country gathered in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, to celebrate the organization's 25th anniversary. SGI-Nigeria now has eighteen local districts with around 500 members. The annual general meeting was titled "Becoming Capable People to Create the Century of Africa."
The gathering featured ... read more

On November 18, 2008, an SGI-USA Culture of Peace Resource Center opened in Washington, D.C., USA, which is set to play a role in championing the principles of peace and cooperation that underpin the SGI. The latest peace resource center is located inside the new SGI-USA center located on ... read more

SGI President Daisaku Ikeda led a service at the Soka Gakkai Headquarters in Shinanomachi, Tokyo, together with representative Soka Gakkai leaders and offered prayers for the happiness, good health and safety of people everywhere as well as for lasting world peace. He presented four poems he had written to ... read more